# Modest Proposal Reviews - "Team Two"



## Desertlifter (Feb 22, 2011)

For the uninitiated here, the thread you see before you is the result of A Modest Proposal, a crackpot scheme I concocted not long ago. The ensuing posts you will find here are from the brave souls of Team Two, also now to be known as the "*The OTC Brigade."

*There is no particular order here, but you should - dear reader - find descriptive missives entailing experiences smoking (in no particular order):

Walnut
Cpt. Black - White
Granger (or Middleton's Apple - who knows!!!!!!!)
Borkum Riff Black Cavendish

Half a bowl, half a bowl,
Half a bowl onward,
All in the valley of the Pouch
Rode the Four.
"Forward, the OTC Brigade!
"Charge for the pipes!" he said:
Into the valley of Pouch
Rode the Four.

So pack your pipe with a premium HTF blend, pour yourself a libation, and read on if you dare. The OTC Cavalry is taking the flank.


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## Jogi (Dec 4, 2009)

op2: for CBW and BR Cherry... op2:


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## ProbateGeek (Oct 13, 2010)

Waiting for the Granger (one hopes) review. Onward!


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

I hope no one minds if I go ahead and start this up. I smoked a bowl this morning, another bowl right now, and I've only got enough of this baccy left for maybe one more good sized bowl....and I wanted to get my thoughts down while it was fresh on my mind.

*Middleton's Walnut*

Mixed colors. Mixed cut, mostly small broken ribbon. Moisture level is absolutely perfect for smoking. Burns extremely well, minimal relights. Nicotine level is mild. No surprises at all so far - pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a Middletons OTC burley.

I've heard Walnut referred to as an "Amercianized English blend." I don't like that label; for one, I don't really like the "English" label at all, as its meaning has become mangled and clouded over the years to make it practically meaningless; and for another, because it's inaccurate. Walnut, to me, is an American drug store burley style first and foremost. Mild burley with a tiny hint of sweet-ish topping is its base. There's enough latakia there that it's easy to pick up, and you know it's there....but this is definitely not a lat bomb. It's the perfect amount, IMO, to add a hint of smokey earthiness. The label claims that Walnut is a blend of the "world's seven finest tobaccos"....and I guess I believe it, but it is kinda hard for me to pick them out. Virginia? Yeah, there's a hint. Orientals? Maybe....I'm not versed enough in orientals to say with certainty what's there and what's not. What else? I don't know. And I don't care! All I know is it's damned fine tobacco. And if you enjoy OTC burleys and/or mild latakia blends, you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't at least try this stuff. Easy enough that it could be an all day smoke, yet complex and interesting enough to make a fine evening smoke.

You know....you don't hear much about Walnut in the pipe forums. Why? My theory - light English afficianatos (ACK! I said the dreaded 'E' word!) aren't even going to give it a second thought because it's cheap bulk burley and doesn't come in a tin. And for another, it doesnt come in a pouch...it is only available in a 12 ounce tub to the tune of nearly 30 bucks. 12 ounces and 30 bucks is a fairly large investment to make in something you've never tried. 4 Noggins to the rescue! 4 Noggins sells 2 ounce portions (bulk, from the tub) for 6 bucks. 4noggins.com - DRUG STORE BLENDS

Verdict - my 2 ounce sample is almost gone, and my next order will be for a tub of Walnut. Highly recommended!


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

I've only smoked one bowl of this in small kaywoodie drinkless 4 digit. It seemed like a lat bomb to me at the time. Ill smoke some in a cob on the way home and give you an update review. Im becoming a little acclimated to lat and it doesnt overwhelm a whole blend they way it used to for me.


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## phager (Jun 28, 2010)

*Borkam Riff Black Cavendish*

Pleas forgive my noobishness, as this is my first pipe tobacco review. I let the tobacco sit on the counter for only a few minutes before smoking, and for the record, I got this in a starter kit about two years ago, and promptly transferred the pouch to a mason jar; so the tobacco has a small amount of age on it. I have no idea if this had a negative effect on on the tobacco, but I wouldn't think so.

On to the review! I packed this in to my little Tom Thumb that I inherited from my father, and has been used throughout it's life for Aromatic blends. The tobacco packed nicely, and required only a few relights, which given the fact that I'm still far from perfecting my smoking technique, is a good sign for the tobacco.

The flavors at the start of the bowl we're better then I was expecting, there was a nice amount of smokiness to it that I love when smoking in the winter time, along with an underlying sweetness to it. About half way through the bowl the ugly head of tongue bite reared it's ugly head. I seem to be very susceptible to this, and so I consciously slow my puffing cadence to try to minimize it, but in this blend nothing I could do would stop it from occurring.

With the exception of the tongue bite, this wasn't near as bad as I was expecting. I've smoked a few OTC blends and, with the exception of Prince Albert, I've been universally disappointed with them, hence why this has been sitting in my cellar for the last two years. But this was actually a rather pleasant experience, and if I was out and about and had no tobacco with me, I certainly wouldn't think twice about picking a pouch up to tide me over and not be bummed out about it.

Thanks for starting this up, Brian! I probably would have left this on the shelf until doomsday came if not for this experiment!


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

I will also have to excuse the quality of this review. I haven't written one before. 

Middleton's Walnut- It's only been in my cellar for a month at most. I smoked it once before and all I tasted was lat, but as I pointed out earlier i think I am becoming less sensitive. 

It took a char and then light. It burned very well. I was smoking out of my great dane egg. Noticed a little tongue bite but it was pretty mild, probably my technique. I tasted the Lat. right at first nice and smokey. Then one puff or to after that was the nuttyness of the burley which I noticed through consistently through almost the whole bowl. About halfway through I noticed a slight sweetness fading in and out. When I was puffing hard I came across mocha taste for a brief instant. I relight the last 3rd of the bowl after digging out ash and dottle. I could still taste the nutty burley out front and the lat. to a lesser extent. The after taste I had when I finished was sorta malty it reminded me of the aftertaste of Stanwell Melange, how? I don't know.

Overall it was pretty good, I would smoke it again, but not tub for this cat. It burned easily and had very little bite. I couldn't smoke it all day, but I can't smoke anything all day. I did wish I had some more after I burned through the bowl, and that says something for me. I think everyone should take a shot at this one.

Andrew


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## Jogi (Dec 4, 2009)

Thanks for the review Pat. Reviews like yours encourage noobs like me that all OTCs, from M79 to BRs to CH or PA should be tried at least once to give them a fair chance... :thumb:


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

Andrew - Excellent review. Latakia is one of those things that takes some getting accustomed to. If you're not really used to it, it seems to really jump out in your face and scream at you in even small amounts.

Pat - Great review. Sounds like about what I'm expecting. I haven't tried any Borkum Riff, so I'm looking forward to trying it, good or bad :thumb:


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

Ghad, thanks for the compliment, your review helped me know what to look for as well.


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## BigSarge (Oct 20, 2011)

*Captain Black Regular (White)*

Upon popping the tub (Yes I bought a tub. So I could share) I'm greeted with a rich aroma of spiced fruit mixed with moist earthy tobacco. Very pleasant and unobtrusive. The tobacco appears to be a mix of dark black and light yellow slices of leaf. It seems to be at the perfect moisture content for lighting. My suspicions are confirmed after I quickly packed a small corn cob and light it easily.

The first few puffs greeted me with a nice mellow nutty flavor underscored by a hint of sweetness. On the retrohale there is a flavor that I can only describe as mincemeat pie, spicy with zest and fruit. None of these flavors are very dominate and they seem to shift in and out as I puff away. It remained constant throughout the bowl and i found myself wanting more when the bowl was finished. The room note was of baking fruit and spices.

I can see why this tobacco is so popular with the masses. It is very pleasant and easy to smoke with a good room note. I can see myself buying more, but probably only a pouch this time.


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## Jogi (Dec 4, 2009)

Nice review Pete, thanks. I've had almost the same experience with CBW, *except* the smokable-right-out-the-tin bit. Mine's almost 2 years old, kept in a non-airtight glass jar and I still feel it should be aired each time before smoking. Overall, a nice smoke no doubt, definitely a *great* room note.


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

I tried some Granger in a Kaywoodie I quickly cleaned out before that. It tasted like when you suck on a t-shirt, I don't think I cleaned it well enough, I think it will be cobs only for the rest of the trials, or something I know I have cleaned well.


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## phager (Jun 28, 2010)

*Middleton's Walnut*

I decided to try this one out in my ~1936 Kaywoodie (My favorite pipe BTW, perfect bowl size and a great smoker). The tobacco is pretty finely cut, and mostly dark as night, the tin note is hard to pin down for me, but my wife said it smelled great. I packed about 3/4 of a bowls worth, as I'm normally a 1-2 bowl a week smoker and this is my second bowl today, and headed out on this beautiful sunny 50 degree day. I did a quick char light, and the on to the full light. The fist thing I got from it was a thick and chewy smoke (Yeah, I said "chewy" Never used that in a review before, but that's the best descriptor), with a bit of campfire to it (That's the latakia, right?). It very much remind me of a decent cigar.

There was also a nice background sweetness to it that I'm assuming is from the burley. That made for a perfect counterpoint to the smokiness of the Lat. Over all the bowl only needed a couple of relights throughout the entire bowl, which is a new record for me.

I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but this was my first real "Ah-ha" moment with the pipe; The pack was perfect, the burn was perfect, the day was perfect and the flavor was outstanding, I even picked up some grassy nuances that I love in cigars, and have never experienced with the pipe, hell, I didn't even get any tongue bite for once.

I have to say that if for some reason there was no other tobacco in the world but this, I wouldn't mourn excessively long. This tobacco is that good, and is now on my short list to purchase.


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## BigSarge (Oct 20, 2011)

* Mixture No. 79*

Smells like a room would if licorish had a sweaty threeway with root beer and moldy cigars. It seemed a bit wet so I packed it into a small corncob and let it sit for 20 min or 30 min. I did a quick char then got it going for real. My first few puffs were not encouraging, a strong soapy flavor coated my mouth and the smoke reminded me of the smell of burning hair. After it got going it got a little less vile. There is an underlying sweetness to it, the retrohale has a campfire tone plus a bit of a cooling effect almost like a menthol. But just when I thought it might turn around the soap came back. I would call it in the Ivory Soap family with a hint of Dial. It kinda went back and forth from there. Between tolerable and almost good to Soap. I gave it a half a bowl try and set the pipe down. No more for me thanks.


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## phager (Jun 28, 2010)

*Captain Black White*

This tobacco had a really great tin (Well baggy) note, and seemed to have close to the perfect moisture straight out of the bag, so into the Kaywoodie it went. It took a char quite nicely, and on the full light, I was greeted with a really sweet tobacco flavor with a bit of fruitiness on the backside. The flavors stayed consistent throughout the bowl, with only one relight required after I set it down when my brother and sister-in-law came by with the kids.

One nice thing is that the room note was very nice, my brother, who isn't a big fan of smoking, said that it smelled really nice.

I'd say that this would rank above the Borkam Riff but below the Walnut. Definitely something that I'll pick up in the future, but not in large quantities.

This was my fist experience with Captain Black, but after this I think I'll need to try some of the others.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

*Borkum Riff Black Cavendish*

I assume Pat must also own a MM Freehand, because he sent EXACTLY enough for one bowl in this big pipe. :thumb: Which is definitely enough.

Moisture level is spot on. Cut is short ribbon, packs easily, burns great. Completely and utterly devoid of nicotine out:

Flavor? It's black cavendish with no perceptable added top flavoring. Not much to say about it. Slightly sweet, a hint of creaminess, quite mild. If you're a fan of plain black cav - hey, this might be worth a shot! I, for one, am not. Plain black cav just tastes bland to me. For what it is, I think it's just fine. For my tastes...I'm not impressed. I do get a bit of tongue bite, but it's not too bad, and it goes away quickly if I control my smoking pace. It's probably my fault - the lack of flavor and lack of nicotine probably has me puffing harder than usual.

Not too bad for what it is. Someone into plain black cav might dig this. Might be useful for diluting overly strong blends.

I won't be buying more.


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## phager (Jun 28, 2010)

*Middleton Apple*

So, perversely enough given my apparent aversion to aros, I was looking forward to trying this one since in the 70s Middleton Cherry was my dad's go to tobacco. Opening the bag I was greeted with something akin to apple pie spice, but not necessarily apple. I loaded up my inherited Tom Thumb (Not coincidentally the pipe my dad smoked Middleton in) and step outside.

The primary flavor was actually straight burley with a little cinnamon through the nose. I think this is my big issues with aros, they never seem to live up to what they advertise, with the exception of mix 79, which sadly is just as perfumey as it smells. As I progressed through the bowl, the flavor went from burley with cinnamon to tounge bite with hot air (Yes that is a flavor, just not one you want ), and later moved to an almost plasticy/waxy flavor.

In the end, much as I wanted to like, or even tolerate this blend, it just wasn't for me. I definitely won't pick up any of this.


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## BigSarge (Oct 20, 2011)

*JM Walnut*

This tobacco smells sweet with a light campfire undertone overall very pleasant. I let it sit out for about 20 min. It packed easily into my little corncob (except for a large chunk of wood/stem). I gave a good char and then got it fully lit. The first thing I noticed was a strong lemongrass flavor. This dominated the entire bowl down. There were hints of nutty hightlights and the occasional hickory smoke flavor. But both in the mouth and on the retro the lemongrass shined though. At times it was bright and pleasant but at other times it became a bit astringent and seems to distract from the other flavors in the tobacco. I found this to be a little annoying. It burned easily and only required a few relights. Overall I would say this tobacco is okay but not great. I wouldn't buy it but was glad to sample it.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

*Middleton Apple*

Mixed colors, and mixed cuts - some cube and some short ribbon. Pouch aroma is pretty nice - mild apple. Not cloying at all. It's a little on the moist side, but looks ok for smoking. Unfortunately, it didn't burn very well for me...some extra drying time probably would have helped with that. Nicotine level is quite mild.

On initial light, I get a burst of very pleasant apple aroma/flavor. Nice! The topping is well executed - it actually tastes like a fresh crisp red delicious apple. The topping should have been applied with a heavier hand, though. The apple fades fast, and I'm left with a base of mild burley...not bad, but somewhat bland. If I set the pipe down for a minute and come back to it, I pick up a bit more of the apple aroma again, but it fades fast again. Same with relights - burst of flavor that fades with just a puff or two.

Not a new favorite, but definitely not bad! I'm not gonna run out and stock up on this, but I'd be willing to buy a pouch and explore this one a bit further.


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## BigSarge (Oct 20, 2011)

*Borkum Riff Black Cavendish*

It has a nice sweet and smoky "bag" note . The tobacco* is a mix of long thin *strips* that vary from dark black to a light yellow. I think it might be called ribbon cut. It light up easily right out of the bag after a quick char. It started with a smoky sweet flavor that pretty much matched the way it smelled exactly. The flavors seemed to be just a bit muddled never really shining, as if they were watered down.. There is a good dash of black pepper on the retrohale that makes things a bit more interesting. The flavor stayed the same for the entire bowl. The room note was nice with aromas of spice and burning campfire. My pipe got pretty hot at times if I puffed to fast so I had to force myself to take it slow. *Overall I liked this tobacco but don't think I'll be buying more. It was better than Walnut but not as good as Captain Black White.


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## phager (Jun 28, 2010)

*Granger*

Well the in-laws, who are staunch anti smokers, arrived yesterday and this morning they decided to check out one of the local churches (My wife doesn't like organized religion, so we let them take our oldest to check it out), so what better time to make a double mocha and enjoy a bowl and the nice weather!

I packed up my Tom Thumb and step out side. The tin note on this was very similar to the Captain Black that Pete sent out, mainly plain tobacco with a sweet under tone. The burn characteristics we're not as good as some of the other tobaccos I've smoked in this series, with an uneven ring of ash and some minor issues getting the bowl started. Once going it required only a few relights, although it was clearly too moist as I got a good amount of gurgle towards the end.

The flavor was pretty good, mainly nutty tobacco for the first half of the bowl. Things got a little interesting after that point, as a new flavor emerged. At first I thought it was something akin to bread, but that didn't seem quite right. After a few puffs it came to me, the flavor was very similar to the smell of the malt extract I used in my first batch of beer I started a few days ago. I somehow doubt anyone would pick that up, but it is what it is.

Overall I would occasionally pick up some of this. But to be honest, after all the OTC blends, I'm really getting a little tired of Burley, burley, burley  I think I need to pack a bowl of Anniversary Kake before reviewing SWR!


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

phager said:


> I'm really getting a little tired of Burley, burley, burley


:jaw:

BLASPHEMY!

:mrgreen: Another great review, Pat!


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## phager (Jun 28, 2010)

Now, Now Clifford, surely you know that variety is the spice of life! 6 bowls straight of burley blends will bore even the most staunch pipe smoker.

Oh and BTW, You no longer have the monopoly on the OTC tobacco award! Muhaahahahaha


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## BigSarge (Oct 20, 2011)

*Sir Walter Raleigh*

The tobacco has a nice mildly sweet aroma that I can't place. Maybe liqueur or peach? Anyway it's very pleasant and not overly strong It appears to be small chunks of tobacco leaf that are a fairly uniform shade of light and dark brown..It packed and lit easily with a quick char. I was greeted with a nice mellow spicy flavor with a bit of tangy sweetness on the retrohale. The room note is good with a similar spicy sweet appeal. Like the other OTC tobaccos I've reviewed for this thread the flavors stayed the same for the whole bowl. My pipe did get rather hot but there was no tongue bite. I will probably pick up a pouch now and again.

So to summarize my feeling on the OTC Tobaccos I sampled for this Tobacco Share here is how I would rank them.
1. Captain Black White
2. Sir Walter Raleigh
3. Borkum Riff Black Cavendish
4. Walnut
12,400,055,882. Mixture 79


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

BigSarge said:


> * Mixture No. 79*
> 
> Smells like a room would if licorish had a sweaty threeway with root beer and moldy cigars. It seemed a bit wet so I packed it into a small corncob and let it sit for 20 min or 30 min. I did a quick char then got it going for real. My first few puffs were not encouraging, a strong soapy flavor coated my mouth and the smoke reminded me of the smell of burning hair. After it got going it got a little less vile. There is an underlying sweetness to it, the retrohale has a campfire tone plus a bit of a cooling effect almost like a menthol. But just when I thought it might turn around the soap came back. I would call it in the Ivory Soap family with a hint of Dial. It kinda went back and forth from there. Between tolerable and almost good to Soap. I gave it a half a bowl try and set the pipe down. No more for me thanks.


Ah, memories... :lol:


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

looks like i better load up some cobs and get smokin, I only have one review done!


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

*GRANGER*

I scrubbed out my MM Legend this morning to get ready for Granger on my way home. I loaded up the Granger about a half hour before I left work.

One charing light and a tamp and relight. I got a hint of something sweet and a touch of nuts on the light, I assume it was the burley. I kept tasting the burley every 
4 or 5 puffs. The sweet flavoring was there off and on for the first 3rd of a bowl. If this had been all I was getting I would have been pleased.
You know that flavor you got when you were a kid and you for some reason sucked on a cotton shirt, That was what I kept tasting, that was the predominant flavor and i tasted it on every puff. I even smoke this thing down with two relights to the bottom quarter, T-Shirt every time. I won't be buying this again and I am only too glad to give samples away to the other team on the other modest proposal team.

Good Luck all.


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

Borkum Riff Black Cavendish

Broke out the great dane egg for this one. It was pretty dry, packed easily, took a couple of lights but no problem after that initially. 
It had a touch of sweetness at times, but the flavors came through as a smokey and at time some zesty/spicy notes coming through. I also tasted a campfire type taste. It stayed about the same through out the smoke. It didn't really bite and I was surprised about that, I puffed easily on it while I walked the dog and enjoyed it for what it was, a simple, good tasting tobacco. If I needed to pick something to smoke while working out side all day I wouldn't hesitate, but I wont run out to buy a pouch.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

*Captain Black White*

I've had this one before, but it's been a while. It's different than I remember....but my memory could be a bit foggy.

Mostly black, with a few pale flecks speckled in. Mixed ribbon cut...mostly medium, but I got a lot of small pieces and crumbs in my sample as well. It's a little moist in the bag, but not bad....not nearly as bad as I remember. The bag note is very pleasant, but rather pale. Surprisingly well behaved and bite free for an aromatic (also better than I remember). Nicotine level is mild, as expected...on par with its peers.

Captain Black's topping reminds me of marshmallows. It doesn't really taste like marshmallows per se.....but the taste is sweet and "warm" and "fluffy", if that makes sense....and marshmallows sort of come to mind. I don't know what exactly it tastes like, but it is quite pleasant. I can't help but wonder if maybe this sample came from an old dusty pouch that didn't seal well. It is drier than I remember, and the topping seems MUCH milder than I remember. Topping is definitely still there, but it's well proportioned, not at all cloying or overpowering like I remember, and I can actually taste the component tobacco underneath. The tobacco flavor is black cavendish (a richer and more flavorful BC than the BR was), and I think I get a tiny hint of burley as well. And something else - "smokey" is too strong a word, but sorta like that, dark and earthy. It's subtle, but it's there. Caught me by surprise. I thought maybe my cob was ghosted with some old latakia, so I tried it in a clean clay - still there! It definitely adds a nice dimension.

I also tried mixing in a little 5 Brothers, as I often like to do with wimpy tobaccos. Doing this beefs up the body and mouthfeel, and adds a much needed nicotine bump, but it waters it down flavorwise. It tastes better straight.

Overall - I'm impressed! It's better than I remembered. I could see myself picking up more sometime.

ADDENDUM - I just looked back at Pete's review. I didn't realize it before, but this sample came from a tub. My previous experience with CB was in a pouch. I wonder if that's what the difference was - maybe they douse the pouch stuff with extra topping and PG to improve shelf life? I have compared other OTCs side by side, pouch vs tub, and tub is invariably at least a little bit better.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

I reviewed both Mixture 79 and Granger previously. Here's the links to my thoughts on those, if you're interested:

http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/pipe-related-reviews/318073-granger.html

http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/pipe-related-reviews/317296-mixture-79-really-bad.html


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

Give me 79 over granger any day. I am glad I will be able to send out the rest in samples.


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

one more quick question, so when we send out trades, we are supposed to initiate trader feed back to anyone that has sent us something, and then also when we send something to someone they will send then initiate trader feed back with us? Or is it just one trader feedback for when we send them something and they send it back to us? Sorry i'm a bit new at this.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

I thought I had reviewed SWR before, but I can't seem to find my review thread, so here goes:

*Sir Walter Raleigh*

Uniform medium brown color. The cut is unique - it's "clumpy." It reminds me of a breakfast cereal, something like Grape Nuts or chunks of granola or something. I'm smoking (and sent samples of) the tub variant, but have also smoked a few pouches of SWR. The pouch version is drier and even more clumpy, but the clumps are still there in this tub version. Perfect moisture in this tub version (pouches always seemed overly dry on inspection, but smoked and tasted just fine). Nicotine is mild, a tic milder than PA. Very well behaved in the pipe, as one would expect.

SWR has a somewhat darker and earthier flavor than the other drug store burleys. I believe there is a top flavoring added, something like chocolate but not quite. It's more obvious in the tub version than the pouch version. The pouch version has more of just a straight tobacco flavor. Not much more can be said about it flavorwise - pleasant and straightforward, burley with some "sort of chocolatey" flavoring, more towards the earthy and less sweet end of the spectrum.

A couple of months ago, I participated in a 24 hour one-pipe-one-tobacco challenge, and chose SWR and a Dr Grabow Omega. After smoking bowl after bowl of SWR all day long, I got REALLY sick of it. Thus, I haven't smoked much of it lately. I'm enjoying it more today than I have in a while.

Verdict - Recommended. Good, definitely worth a try. I originally smoked through a pouch, liked it enough that I bought another pouch, and liked that one enough that I sprung for a tub. It's currently not really a favorite for me....but if I pigged out on nothing but pizza for 24 hours, pizza would probably not be my favorite food anymore for a long time, either.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

snagstangl said:


> one more quick question, so when we send out trades, we are supposed to initiate trader feed back to anyone that has sent us something, and then also when we send something to someone they will send then initiate trader feed back with us? Or is it just one trader feedback for when we send them something and they send it back to us? Sorry i'm a bit new at this.


Yeah. I think. Something like that. :lol:

I think in a mass sample trade like this, you should just send trader feedback to everyone that sends you a sample, but not to those you send a sample to. And everyone that you sent samples to should send you trader feedback. At least, that's what I've been doing. That's the way it works in the lottery.

I *think* I have sent trader feedback to everyone who sent me a sample. If I missed anyone, feel free to PM me a reminder!


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## Desertlifter (Feb 22, 2011)

gahdzila said:


> Yeah. I think. Something like that. :lol:
> 
> I think in a mass sample trade like this, you should just send trader feedback to everyone that sends you a sample, but not to those you send a sample to. And everyone that you sent samples to should send you trader feedback. At least, that's what I've been doing. That's the way it works in the lottery.
> 
> I *think* I have sent trader feedback to everyone who sent me a sample. If I missed anyone, feel free to PM me a reminder!


^^^^ Yup - this! As you receive your sample, send trader feedback to each puffer who sent you the sample.


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

*Captain black white*

I packed this up this morning so it has been drying out all day. It still took a couple of lights to get it going. I got a note of burley on the light but then the topcoating came through. It was sweet, but more like rasin, or prune, some identified fruit flavoring. I caught some brown sugar a time or two as well. I didn't get any bite which was surprising, but i puffed at a nice slow pace. The indeterminate fruit flavor and scent kept consistent through out the whole bowl. I really like this stuff and will probably by some more when I have smoked down some of my cellar.


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## El wedo del milagro (Jul 3, 2012)

Cpt. Black White.

Opened the ziploc (I have kept them all fresh in a mason jar) and took a big sniff. Cavendish smell and something sweet and sugary. The tobacco is mostly dark with a bit of brighter tobaccoo too. A few bits of shredded tobacco, with the majority a ribbon cut.

It took a light easily and smoked pretty cool and mild. Way to mild actually. The first half of the bowl all i got was cavendish and a bit of sweet. Once I hit the second half of the bowl it got a wee bit stronger flavored: a hint of burley, the sweet disappeared, and the cavendish wasn't so "soft" anymore. It smoked VERY fast, and little to no nicotine.

All in all it wasn't horrible, but was alot like smoking air.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

*Sugar Barrel*

Cut - All over the place. I don't even know how to describe it. There's some chunks similar to SWR, a few short ribbon pieces, and some flat round pieces that look like Fruity Pebbles cereal. Mixed colors. It has a very nice appearance, but this strange cut gives me a little pause in packing the pipe. Mind you, I'm not saying it's difficult to pack per se, just not quite as mindlessly easy as a ribbon. Packing a little looser than usual is working out better for me. Moisture is fine, maybe a hair on the dry side. Nicotine is mild.

The underlying tobacco flavor is very mild. Burley, of course...but maybe a hint of Virginia as well? Maybe? The topping is sweet...and....well, it's sweet. Sweeter than PA for sure, but well balanced and not at all cloying. There isn't a whole lot going on flavorwise, it's rather one dimensional, but that one dimension is quite pleasant. I expected something tasting like granulated sugar, but it's not quite that bright...a little darker than that....maybe brown sugar, or maybe honey. Since DanR sent me a very generous sized sample, I wanted to get a few bowls under my belt before reviewing. Looking back, I've actually smoked 5 bowls of this stuff today. Yeah I smoke a lot, but it's very unusual for me to smoke that many bowls of one tobacco back to back. I didn't plan this, I just kept coming back to it thinking "what to smoke next? hmmmm....lemme get one more bowl of that SB before I type up this review." As of now, I'm slightly bored with it, but I wouldn't say I'm tired of it at all. I'll very likely reach for it again in the morning with my coffee.

Overall thoughts - Nothing really stands out in this one. There's nothing about it that makes me jump up and down with excitement. And yet, I just keep reaching for it over and over. And I suppose that's a mark of a good OTC. I don't anticipate this replacing my beloved PA anytime soon (for one, because I've got a couple of pounds of PA in the cellar :lol: ), but I'll likely pick up a tub when space permits.


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

Middleton's apple

I smoked some of this on the way home yesterday from work. I smoked it in a lightly used urbino 312. The tobacco seemed pretty dry even though it was sealed up tight in a jar. It was a mix of cuts, nothing i could specifically point to, but kind of like the cut of sugar barrel and mixture 79. It was a dark brown and seemed to have a few crystals on each piece of tobacco. I had to light it a few times before it took. Upon the light i could taste the apple right off, it came and went through out the smoke, mixing with typical burley flavors. There was an overarching chemical flavor that i didn't really appreciate, but is not uncommon in middleton's mixtures. It smoked to the bottom of the bowl and got a bit hot toward the end even though i was taking it easy.

Final thoughts, Yeah ive smoked a couple bowls but Im not really interested in keeping it around. Im sure there is some apple flavored bulk elsewhere that doesn't have the chemically flavor. I would pick up something else in a pinch over this.


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

I guess I can double up on these two reviews: SUGAR BARREL and SIR WALTER RALEIGH 

First: Sir Walter Raleigh- Clumpy is the right word to describe the cut, lots of big what almost seemed like pressed burley cake pieces , only well broken apart. 
I smoked it out of a small Medico University with a pretty small bowl, the price tag on the pipe said 5.95 but it is briar so I dont know when that dates it.

As with most burley you get a nutty sort of sweet flavor without much added. I did enjoy it, some hints of sweetness but mostly nutty. It wasn't to hard to puff slow enough to keep it from biting. I think there was some flavoring, but not enough that brought some earthy notes. But the nuttiness is enough to make this a good blend to smoke a couple times a month to break things up. Or if I needed to smoke in pinch i would buy a pouch.


Sugar Barrel: Another odd cut, it reminds me of the cut of Mixture 79. I let this sit in a cob legend through the day today until i got to it after about 15 min drying this morning. It was pretty dry but I still had a bit of trouble getting lit and then it went out half way through. Overall it reminded me of Mixture 79 without the floral generic lake land. Which isn't to bad because I like 79. I tasted burly, so nuts and sweetness but to less extent then in say SWR. There was a sweetness throughout that I could tell was some kind of added flavoring but it was not overly sweet, and alot less sweet than a typical cavendish is. I even was getting some carmelized sugar notes on and off throughout. However, it didn't do much for me, it didn't excel enough in what I was hoping would be sweetness. If I had to pick this up in a pinch, i would choose one of the other OTC's.


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## Desertlifter (Feb 22, 2011)

snagstangl said:


> I guess I can double up on these two reviews: SUGAR BARREL and SIR WALTER RALEIGH
> 
> First: Sir Walter Raleigh- Clumpy is the right word to describe the cut, lots of big what almost seemed like pressed burley cake pieces , only well broken apart.
> I smoked it out of a small Medico University with a pretty small bowl, the price tag on the pipe said 5.95 but it is briar so I dont know when that dates it.


I think that of all the "plain" burleys, I liked SWR the best. I'm going to pick up a pouch of the aro just for giggles.


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

If you don't want to pick any up, i can send you some, I got a couple ounces. I can also send you samples of the other tubs as well, just tell me so or pm me, no problem.


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## Desertlifter (Feb 22, 2011)

Thought this was over, didn't you? I say nay!

I was very generously gifted a bowl of Granger and Walnut, so I grabbed the Granger today and crammed it into my official "this trade thing" cob.

I was really looking forward to Granger. Why? I have NO idea. For some reason it has a....cachet. That blue pouch, the pointer. I don't know, it is just there. Plus it's a burley - can't mess that up can you?

We'll see. In the bag Granger has......something. Faintly....laundry? That's it. Laundry. I put fire to a bowl in my cob and it lit well and easily, with initial notes of burley nuttiness and a slight sweetness. My first impression of Granger was favorable. 

Then it happened. Remember laundry?

I was assaulted with a beach-landing level of bounce dryer sheet. I wanted to knock out the tobacco and use the rough cob to brush my tongue. This is from someone who likes Lakelands A LOT. I wanted it to end, puffing like a madman to burn through the bowl. Burley and Bounce. Bounce and burley. Wait - is that Kirkland brand dryer sheet? It is! I'm thinking that perhaps that dog on the pouch did something unspeakable to its contents.

I always try to find something good about the tobaccos that I review. After all, one puffer's Stoney is another's floor sweepings. But lordy this was NOT good. I'm rewarding myself with a nice bowl of FM Cellar in the morning.


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## snagstangl (Aug 21, 2010)

I told ya, like sucking on a t shirt. I got no idea what that flavor is.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

Desertlifter said:


> I was really looking forward to Granger. Why? I have NO idea. For some reason it has a....cachet. That blue pouch, the pointer. I don't know, it is just there.


I know, right? I don't know what it is either, but I was drawn to it as well.

I didn't hate it at first, I actually kinda liked the flavor. The more of it I smoked, though, the less I liked the flavor. It still bites me, too.


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## Desertlifter (Feb 22, 2011)

*Walnut*

This one was sitting in wait for me for a bit, having been generously gifted as a "leftover."

Walnut is more or less evenly cut in the bag, and my sample was nice and crunchy, which I have become convinced is burley's natural element. Perfect. All I smell is burley and maybe a touch of VA sweetness - none of the Latakia that is purported to be part of the blend is there to the nose, at least pre-burn. If there is a topping to this tobacco I can't tell - one of the nice bits that I notice with drying tobaccos this much. The tobacco packs and lights well, and after a perfunctory char and light I was met with nice clouds of smoke and....

burley

and burley

It's interesting, because if you look at tobacco reviews this is a blend that is a virtual cornucopia of tobaccos - from Cavendish and Kentucky to the VA and Latakia. Latakia is not something known for its subtlety, but it just wasn't there. As I smoked down the first bit of the bowl I could taste the VA, and Walnut was looking to be yet another VaBur, although a fairly nice one.

Hello? Latakia? There you are! About a minute into the smoke I started getting a nice touch of Latakia. Not the "sucking on a campfire" level of Latakia that I love, but a very nice accompaniment to the nutty burley and sweet VA. If I really got to it I could get a touch of bite, but that only whilst punishing the tobacco with a LOT of air moving through the bowl. This stayed with me throughout the rest of my morning smoke - a VaBur with a nice touch of Latakia. Not demanding, not requiring a hefty breakfast before attempting it. I'm not surprised that this is one of my favorite OTCs in this series - this is good stuff that is well worth keeping on hand. Easily a split with first place (in my mind) with SWR.

I believe that this ends my journey through OTCs, although there are certainly more of them. In the end, the one thing that really stands out with them is what we hear from ah.....elder puffers, if I may.

I would posit - quite firmly in fact - that while the idea of over the counter cigars evoke gag-inducing swishers and the like, pipe tobaccos are another animal. Their burn quality is above board, making for great learning opportunity for new pipers, and their basic characteristics have plenty to offer more experienced palates. They have enough variety - even with their reliance on burleys - to not all smoke the same, and they satisfy without taking a lot of energy from pipe or piper. They should not then be discounted on principal - one or more of them is likely to fit most palates.


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## Dr. Plume (Sep 24, 2012)

Great job


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